Carnival of the Animals Workstations

Carnival of the Animals is a set of 14 pieces of music by composer Camille Saint Saens.  These pieces are performed with two pianos and several other instruments.  The composer was so clever in creating each piece to represent specific animals like lions, cuckoos, chickens, elephants and more.  The pieces either imitate the sound of the animal or create a musical message that you can associate with that animal.  In second grade we use this unit to discuss composing and to identify instruments.  After watching a video introduction to Carnival of the Animals students worked in workstations to practice music skills, read about Saint Saens and review the music of Carnival of the Animals.

At the reading workstation students had the opportunity to read about each of the pieces in Carnival of the Animals.

At the SmartBoard students listened to several of the pieces and then classified them by sound (dynamics, tempo, etc...).

At the Aquarium Station students created "schools" of rhythms.  Together with their group the arranged rhythms and performed them with body percussion.

At the Coloring Station students colored a picture of the piece "Royal March of the Lion" by using a special key and identifying notes. 

Building long lines of rhythm and performing them with a partner was great fun.  Some of the rhythm-a-pillars stretched way off the carpet!

At the iPad station students worked with a partner and a funny giraffe named Gina to practice beat keeping.

You can hear music from Carnival of the Animals HERE.

 

Get lots of fabulous Carnival of Animals worksheets, listening logs, crafts and a bulletin board HERE.